论晚清林则徐的翻译活动及其国家认同观

Lin Zexu’s Translations and National Identity

晚清早期“天朝上国”的思想根深蒂固,只有“天下”而无“国家”,国家认同隐匿而模糊。列强入侵,社会剧变,在抵抗外辱的斗争中林则徐开始游移在觉醒的边缘,通过翻译西报、西书、西律引进外面世界新知,既是制夷之策,也启蒙了“世界之中国”国家认同观念,肇启了新的国防、海防主张,确立与维护了国家的国际认可。自林则徐始,由“天下”而“国家”的意识渐渐明晰,王朝国家观念开始被打破,朝廷与国家开始在政治层面、学理层面被严格区分开来,世界之中国的国民国家观念初步确立起来。

Early in the late Qing Dynasty,the notion of“Universal Empire”was deeply rooted.People in China had no idea of“nation”or“state”when national identity was indistinct.On the edge of awakening in the social upheaval caused by the invasion of western countries,Lin Zexu translated western newspapers,books,and laws to introduce new knowledge about the outside world.His translation helped his fight against the western barbarians,fostered a new national identity concept,initiated a new national defense system,and established an international recognition of China.Since Lin Zexu,the original concept of a“Universal Empire”was replaced gradually by the consciousness of“state”,which became distinct and was strictly differentiated in the political and academic level,thus the concept of“one state in the world”was initially established.